hinckley



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. v

} H. HINUKLEY.

I SLACK ADJUSTER. v N 1,034. PatentedDeo. 18, 1894.

Wcimsses:

(N ModeL) Sheets-Sheet 2.

V H. HINGKLEY SLAUK ADJUSTER.

' N0.531,034.f Patented Deo.18,18 94;

UNITED T STATES PATE T OFFICE.

HOWARD HINOKLEY, OF TREN'ION, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR TO THE I IIINOKLEY BRAKE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

S LAG K-ADJ U STER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,034, dated December 18, 1 894.

Application filed Jute, 1894., seen No. 513,637. momma Improvements in Slack-Adjusters for Brake-' Rigging; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates especially to automatic power-actuated railway brakes, and has for its object to'provide certain new and improved mechanism for automatically taking up or compensating for the slack in the rigging that is caused by the wearing away of the brake shoes. There are principally two methods of accomplishing this general result. One is to shorten, up certain of the connecting rods of the rigging as the wearing away of the shoes increases, as, for example,- in my previous Patents Nos. 475,014 and 475,015, of May 17, 1892, and No. 496,607, of May 2, 1893. ,The other is to adjust the fulcrum of what is known as the dead-lever of the rigging as the slack necessitates an increased movement of the levers,'as in my Patents No. 465,266, of December15, 1891, and No. 488,314, of December 20, 1892.

The present, invention has reference particularly to the latter method, and consists generically in interposing between two levers of the system a connection which, so long as the throw or extent of movement'of the levers is normal, will remain inactive, but which, when the movement of the levers, or either of them, increases by reason of slack in the rigging, operates to shift the fulcrum of the lever which has a stationary fulcrum.

Specifically the invention consists in connecting the live-lever and 'the'dead-lever together by means of a rod having a connection in the opposite direction.

In the annexed drawings,Fi'gure 1 is a view inside elevation of my invention set up for operation with a common form of truck and rigging. -Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the,

automaticallyextensible rod which I interpose between the, live-lever and the dead-lever, and whichconstitutes the adjuster proper. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the adjustable fulcrum device for the dead lever and its guide and supporting rod.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates what is commonly known as the dead-lever; 2, the usual live-lever; 3, a fragment of the brakeoperating rod; 4, a connecting rod securing the two levers together for operation in the ordinary manner. The construction and arrangement of these parts form no feature of the present invention, which is especially de- 4 signed with a view to application to any of the formsof brake rigging now in use.

. In Figs. 1 and 3, 15 denotes aguide rod and 'support for the adjustable fulcrum of the dead-lever 1. It is firmly bolted atits inner end to any convenient part of the truck or framing, as indicated in the drawings, and is preferably made hollow or tubular for lightness and strength. A sleeve 16 encircles this guide rod and slides freely to and fro thereon, and the outer end of the rod is preferably provided with a flange f to prevent the sleeve from going off the end of the rod.

Cast or formed integrally with this sleeve is afulcrum. blockb having a recess or opening 1 therein to form a keeper for the upper end of the dead-lever. This block carries an automatic gripping device which permits it to .move along the supporting rod freely in one direction, but which grips and binds the block to the rod' and prevents it from moving The gripping device consists of a loop or shackle 17 pivoted upon the block and encircling the guide rod,

stops 8 being formed on the block to prevent the shackle from swinging past a line perpendicular with the face of the block in one directionr When the loop rests against these stops, the fulcrum block is free to move outwardly on the supporting rod, but any movement of the block in the opposite direction will cause the shackle, which as will be understood fits the surface of therod rather snugly, to grip and bind upon the rod thereby forming a positive lock or stop against reverse movement of the block.

In Fig. 1, 5 indicates a connecting rod between the live and dead levers, which, in connection with the said levers and the automatic gripping devices hereinafter described, constitutes the adjuster proper. This rod is pivotally connected to the live lever in any suitable manner so as to move longitudinally as the lever swings backward and forward. It is preferable to connect the lever with the rod so that it (the lever) may have a certain movement independently of the rod, and this connection is shown in the drawings as formed by means of a pin t in the lever which passes through a slot 6 in the clip or stirrup c secured to the end of the rod and forming the immediate connection between it and the lever.

Pivoted to the dead-lever is a stirrup or clip 8, preferably similar in general structure to the clip 0 on the live-lever. The stirrup 8 has formed upon one side of it a sleeve 7 into which fits the free end of the connecting rod 5, so that the rod may have a sliding connection with the stirrup and the dead-1ever. The stirrup carries an automatic gripping device similar to that carried by the fulcrum block for the dead-lever, except that it is arranged to permit the rod to slide freely through the stirrup in the opposite direction to that of the movement of the fulcrum block.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 9 indicates the loop or shackle corresponding to the shackle 17 on the fulcrum block. This shackle9is pivoted upon the stirrup and is free to swing in one direction so as to grip the surface of the rod when it moves one way, and is prevented by stops 8' on the stirrup from moving in the opposite direction past a line perpendicular to the face of the rod, so that the shackle cannot bind upon the rod when it moves in this direction, but permits it to pass freely through the sleeve.

As shown in the drawings, the free end of the connecting rod 5 is enlarged. This is not essential, however, and is merely done for the purpose of providing an increased gripping surface for the shackle. The surface of the rod 5 and also that of the guide rod 15 are shown smooth, but if preferred they may be roughened, notched, or serrated to give the shackle a better hold.

In Fig. 1, g is the ordinary guide for the live-lever, and Z and m are respectively the links for supporting the brake beams and the brake shoes. None of these form any part of my invention, and are merely shown incidentally to the illustration of the essential portions of the rigging.

The operation of the apparatus is briefly as follows: When the brakes are applied, the rod 3 and the live-lever move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. It is not intended that the adjuster rod 5 should be moved; by the live lever except when slack exists in the rigging. The loose connection between the lever and the rod heretofore described, viz., the pin and slot connection between the stirrup c and the lever, is therefore provided. When the shoes are new and there is no slack in the rigging, the lever will move to and fro without moving the red, the slot 6 being of suiiicient length to permit this in the normal throw of the lever. When, however, slack occurs, the increased movement of the lever carries the rod 5 with it, the gripping device on the stirrup 8 permitting the free end of the rod to slide through the sleeve 7. \Vhen the brakes are released the reverse movement of the lever 2 pushes back the rod 5, .but at this time the shackle 9 binds upon the surface of the rod and grips it firmly to the stirrup, causing the dead-lever 1 to move back with it. As heretofore described, the fulcrum carrying block for the dead-lever is free to move outward along its supporting bar, and the thrust of the adjuster rod 5 on the return stroke of the live-lever 2 causes the dead-lever to push the fulcrum in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. These movements are repeated at every application of the brakes, but the adjuster rod and the deadlever are operated only when there is slack in the rigging.

The connection is preferably made by the adjuster rod between the levers at a point about midway of their length or just above the brake beams, as shown in the drawings. It may, however, be made at any point, and will depend somewhat upon'the character of the truck and rigging to which the invention is applied. If at the upper end of the levers, it is not essential that the attachment should be made to the dead-lever at all, as the rod may be attached at this end directly to the fulcrum block or casting. As herein shown, the lever fulcrum is shifted during the re lease of the brakes, but it would be equally within the scope of the invention to do it as the brakes are applied.

The invention is applicable to all forms of freight and passenger trucks, and the grip may be made to catch the rod as it moves in either direction. The shackle is preferably mounted on the dead-lever, or at this end of the adjuster rod. The operation would be the same, however, if it were located at the other end of the rod.

I do not intend my claims to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts herein shown, except where expressly so stated, and I wish it understood that the above and many other modifications of the same may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. As to the gripping devices, the shackles herein shown have been thoroughly tested and found in actual practice to be quick, easy and reliable, and are preferred; but any other form of grip or catch operating in the same general way would be within contemplation of the invention.

IIO

Having thus described the in vention,what

\I claim is 1. In a railway brake mechanism, the combination of the dead-lever, an adjustable fulusual, and an automatically extensible additional connection between the levers,whereby when there is any increase in the movement of the live-leverincident to slack in the rigging said additional connection will shift the fulcrum of the dead-lever; substantially as described.

2. In a railway brake mechanism, the combination of the dead-lever, an adjustable fulcrum for the same, the live-lever, said levers being connected together for operation as usual, and a connecting rod between the levers, said rod having a connection with one of the levers which permits it to move freely in one direction independently of the lever and causesf'it tb engage and carry the lever with it when moved in the opposite direction; substantially as described.

3. In a railway brake mechanism, the com-i binationof the dead-1ever,an adjustable fulcrum for the same, the live-lever, said levers being connected together for operation as usual, and a connecting rod between the levers, said rod having a connection with one of the levers which permits it to move freely independently of the lever While the brakes are being applied and causes it to carry the lever with and by it when the brakes are released; substantiallyas described.

4. Ina railway brake mechanism, the combination of the dead-lever, an adj ustable fulcrum for thesame, the live-lever, said levers being connected together for operation as usual, and a connecting rod between the levers, said rod being connected and arranged so as to move with the live lever in both directions, and the connection with the deadlever being such thatthe rod moves in one direction independently of the lever, but is locked or clutched to said lever when moved in the opposite direction substantially as described. i

5. In. a railway brake mechanism, the combination of the dead-lever, an adjustable fulcrum for the same, the live lever, said levers being connected together for operation as usual, an additional connecting rod between the levers, said rod being connected and arranged ,to move with the live-lever in both directions and a one-way gripping device carried by the dead-lever and through whichsaid rod slides; whereby, when the movement of the live-lever exceeds the normal, owing to slack in the rigging, the connecting rod will slide freely through the gripping device in one direction, but, upon the return of the live-lever, will be caught by said gripping device, and willmove the dead-lever with it; substantially as described.

6. In a railway brake mechanism, the combination of the dead-lever 1, the adjustable keeper b constituting the lever fulcrum, the live-lever 2, the rod 4 connecting the levers, and the adjusting rod 5 between said levers, the rod 5 being connected with the live-lever bya loose connection 6, and having the adjustable connection 7, 8, 9, with the dead lever; substantially as described.

7. In arailway brake mechanism, the combination of the dead-lever, the keeper b constituting the fulcrum for the lever, the fulcrum supporting rod 15 upon which the keeper is sleeved, the'shackle 17, the connecting rod 5, the clip 8 connected to the dead-lever, the sleeve 7 through which the rod 5 slides, and the shackle 9 pivoted to the clip and encircling the rod; substantially as described. f

8. The combination of the clip '8, the connecting rod 5, having sliding connection therewith, and the loop or shackle 9 pivoted on the clip and encircling the rod, and the stop 12 whereby, when the rod is moved in one direction, the shackle willbind on or grip the same, and, when the rod is moved in the opposite direction, will strike the stop and permit the rod to move freely through it; substantially as described. i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD HINOKLEY.

Witnessesa. r

' AUBREY LOVE,

F. C. LOWTHORP, Jr. 

